"I was racing motorbikes at the Finke Desert Race and I broke four vertebrae in my back," says local policeman Tim Gardiner.

"It wasn't good but it did give me a few months to sit down and do the design," he says ruefully.

It's the second year Tim and Inge Gardiner have entered their Knuckey Street garden into the ABC Gardening competition, and this year their two year-old garden impressed the judges enough to take out the main prize - judged by Geoff Miers, Beth Staunton and ABC's Rohan Barwick.

"It's spectacular, it's immaculate, it's so well designed, the plant selection is just beautiful. I wanted to go on holidays there, quite frankly," said Rohan.

Although the couple are soon to relocate to Darwin, they are thrilled with the award.

"We were absolutely wrapped," says Tim.

"We don't have an AM aerial inside so last year I sat in the car to listen to it when it was announced...we're really proud to be awarded this prize."

The Gardiner's purchased the property in 2007 and the garden was in 'dire need' according to Tim.

"It wasn't easy," says Tim.

"It was a matter of bulldozing everything, we had to level it all, we removed about 30 tonne of concrete from the yard. It was six months work before we could start any landscaping."

Although Tim studied Architecture at university, designing a desert garden was a new challenge.

"I'm from Victoria, my wife's from Darwin so we didn't have any understanding of arid zone plants and materials," he continues.

"It's about water catchment and placement of water - the paved areas run into the river beds...it guides the water through the garden. Water coming off the shade structures goes onto the lawns. If we have a substantial downpour excess water runs out the back gate."

For plants, Tim offers this advice.

"We saved a lot of money by purchasing tube stock - and growing them out in pots. We planted the whole thing out in about a week.